Thanksgiving made last week’s schedule kind of wacky, but it looks like the NHL will get back to normal … at least until (whatever politically correct term we’re supposed to use for the winter holidays) comes along. Here are previews for tonight’s five games, with all start times being Eastern (ET) as usual.

7:00 pm

Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers

Despite the fact that the Penguins are on a six game winning streak, they’re only three standings points and one win ahead of the up-and-down Rangers (who won two in a row). Both teams are on a roll, with starting goalies – Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist – who seem like they’ve gotten their games together. Should be a fun one to watch.

7:30 pm

Dallas @ Carolina

The Pacific Division might be the strangest in hockey right now; it seems like there is a new leader every few days. Right now the Stars carry that slippery torch, but only because of the tie-breaker for wins. Dallas and Phoenix have 27 points while Los Angeles and San Jose has 26 points with all of them having played 22 games. To say that the margin of error is small is probably an understatement.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are tied for ninth place in the East and are coming off a shootout loss against their division superiors the Washington Capitals. This should be a pretty wide open contest in Carolina.

Edmonton @ Ottawa

Could this be a strange homecoming for former Senators goalie Martin Gerber? It could be, as he won two games ago while Devan Dubnyk lost the Oilers’ last game. Both teams’ typical efforts range from middling to flat-out bad most of the time, but they can put on a good show from time to time too.

9:00 pm

Minnesota @ Calgary

Speaking of being mediocre but showing flashes of brilliance, you have the Flames and Wild (including their talented but overly burdened Finnish goalies). The Wild and Flames are pretty similar teams on the road, too, but Minnesota has one advantage: being pretty strong at home (7-4-0). That won’t matter tonight, though, obviously.

10:00 pm

Los Angeles @ Anaheim

This is a match between two Pacific Division teams that are on serious down streaks. The Ducks are 1-4-1 in their last six while the Kings are 1-6 in their last seven, having only won that game via a shootout. Oddly enough, they were both on similar hot streaks before these slumps; each squad won six in a row before they hit some serious seed bumps. The Ducks have that advantage on at least a superficial level, as their record at the Pond (7-4-1) bodes well for them while the Kings are weak on the road (5-7-0). Will one of these teams generate a little momentum with a win tonight?